Headteachers across Wales have attacked the Welsh Government for the injustices suffered by their pupils in last week's A-level results.
One teacher of a large secondary in north Wales has issued heartfelt appeal to the politicians and exam-awarding bodies urging them not to repeat the fiasco this week and to use teacher-assessed grades for Thursday's GCSE results.
In Cardiff, the head of a Welsh-language secondary has also written to Ian Morgan, Chief Executive of the WJEC, outlining why this year’s process for arriving at grades is unjust, and especially so for his school.
Neil Foley, head of Prestatyn High, said he is having "sleepless night" over GCSE results.
He says schools that are improving, like his, are being downgraded by the algorithm used to arrive at grades and that it has not been properly explained.
“This year’s A level results were the lowest we’ve had. It makes you feel total dejection as a head. You want to give up. There are only so many battles you can fight.
“Last Wednesday we had 107 of 170 grades downgraded - more than 60%.
"This week we have nearly 250 pupils coming in to get GCSE results. I am worried."
Some pupils were marked down four grades by examiners and 42% of A-level grades were lowered across Wales when results came out last week. In a last minute review the Welsh Government announced no A-levels would be graded below an AS already taken.
There are now fears that it will be even worse when GCSE results are published this Thursday, also standardised by an algorithm which heads say took scant account of Centre Assessed Grades from teachers or their pupil rankings. The process, arrived at by regulator Qualifications Wales after exams were cancelled by Covid-19 looks also at past performance of schools and pupils.
The regulator said it wanted results to be broadly the same as previous years to keep the process credible, but it seems that individuals have suffered with downgraded results, especially higher performers from lower performing schools, or an apparent lack of consideration of the circumstances of each school.
"When we looked under the bonnet at A level results half of those were lower than AS. This algorithm in Cardiff had just spat out grades that bore no relation to the Centre Assessed Grades of teachers or achievement in year 13," said Mr Foley.
“After a lot of mounting anger the Education Minister announced at the 11th hour that no grades would be lower than AS so at least some of our pupils went up one or two grades but the picture is still bleak.
"They still bear no reflection of work done, like the young lady predicted AAAB who now has BBBB and lost her place at medical school.
“It is an absolute national disgrace. We have a large year 11 coming in to get results on Thursday. We are an improving school and spent two months sending CAGs back and forth. We went through a very robust process ourselves. I am having sleepless nights over GCSEs.
“I am beyond disappointed in the Welsh Government and Qualifications Wales. Qualifications Wales have surpassed themselves. If they can’t get this right how are they going to create a world class new curriculum?
“The profession and young people have been treated with the highest level of contempt, they have totally disregarded our professional judgement.
“If schools put in inflated grades they should have, could have, challenged them.
“This year’s results are the lowest we’ve had. It makes you feel total dejection as a head. You want to give up. There are only so many battles you can fight.
“GCSEs are the key to the door for the rest of their lives. The first question people ask it “do you have a C in English and maths?”.
"They should just go back to awarding the CAG
"The swift action in Scotland needs to be applauded. The Welsh system has not followed Scotland. Our system now has zero credibility. It’s a national disgrace.
"Qualifications Wales and the WJEC protected their brands and failed pupils.”
In Cardiff, headteacher at Ysgol Bro Edern, Iwan Pritchard expressed astonishment that among other grades dropped his head of art, a WJEC A Level principal examiner for art and design, with years of experience, saw two of her grades slashed from a C to U.
Cardiff’s newest Welsh-medium high school Bro Edern only posted its first set of results in 2019 and, as such, should have been look at differently when arriving at grades in a system which took into account historic past performance, Mr Pritchard’s letter says.
“We are a school with only one year of A Level and Level 3 results, with huge differences between last year’s cohort and this year’s cohort. It is very unfair to award pupils grades this year based on one year of results only.”
Some pupils were marked down four grades by examiners and nearly four in ten A level grades were lowered across Wales when results came out last week. In a last minute review the Welsh Government announced no A levels would be graded below an AS in that subject already achieved.
Warning that his pupils will be among those appealing after widespread dismay at last week’s results, Mr Pritchard's letter goes on:“There is a clear feeling of unfairness created by this year’s results which will be to the detriment of our students for the rest of their lives....
“It gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, of a process, as happened in Scotland, that does not look at the individual and instead favours traditional academic schools.”
More than 50% of individual subject A level grades in the school’s year 13 and over 30% of AS results for year 12s were lowered by the algorithm used to “standardise” a range of data.
Mr Pritchard has copied his letter to, among others, exam regulator Qualifications Wales, Jenny Rathbone MS for Cardiff Central, Vaughan Gething MS for Cardiff South and Penarth and Nick Batchelar, Cardiff’s Director of Education Nick Batchelar.
